Must-see nightlife in The Great Lakes

  • Goose Island Fulton Street Brewery

    Chicago

    Goose Island – Chicago's first craft brewer, launched in 1988 – is now owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, so technically it's no longer a craft brewer. But it…

  • Thornapple Brewing Co

    Michigan

    Thornapple is like a friendly corner tavern, where patrons know each other, play cards and compete on trivia teams, though the vibe is slightly punctured…

  • Cherry Public House

    Gold Coast

    The pub is home to Cherry Republic Brewing Company that makes Leelanau Lambic, a dry, tart ale blended with local Montmorency cherries. It also produces…

  • Arnold’s

    Cincinnati

    Sit at the bar at Arnold’s and you might rub elbows with a city council member or local newscaster or Reds baseball player. The downtown staple has been…

  • Iechyd Da Brewing Company

    Indiana

    'Iechyd Da' means 'Cheers!' in Welsh and this excellent brewery in pretty Elkhart indeeds leans towards UK-style handcrafted ales, though it's not fully…

  • Hamburger Mary's

    Chicago

    The Chicago outpost of this campy, gay-friendly San Francisco-based chain serves well-regarded burgers and weekend brunch in the downstairs restaurant,…

  • Radicle Effect Brewerks

    Illinois

    This Rock Island hophead destination manages to strike the perfect balance between craft nanobrewery and neighborhood dive bar. Saddle up to the bar with…

  • Capital Brewery

    Wisconsin

    Lots of families and groups of friends gather at this social spot. From April through October, they congregate at picnic tables in the outdoor beer garden…

  • Build Coffee

    Chicago

    The cozy little room with found furniture and exposed brick walls is a great place to munch a sandwich, sip a rose cardamom latte with oat milk, and shop…

  • Kinslahger Brewing Company

    Illinois

    This gorgeous, retro, Prohibition–styled taproom was Oak Park's first, originally started in 2016 as a lager-only adventure (hence the name). Today, there…

  • Centerpoint Brewing Company

    Indianapolis

    Centerpoint Brewing rode on the coattails of the popularity of its Blood Orange IPA (a refreshing, citrus-hopped explosion!) to the top, taking home 'Best…

  • New Holland Pub on 8th

    Gold Coast

    Destination brewery New Holland is known for its robust beers, such as Tangerine Space Machine and Dragon’s Milk stout, and its housemade gins and rums…

  • Lucky Dorr

    Chicago

    Lucky Dorr, which stands about 20 paces from Wrigley Field, sends out its siren song to beer aficionados. The 20 taps pour brews by local makers such as…

  • Mad Anthony's Auburn Tap Room

    Indiana

    This tap room sits in a historic downtown building with big windows and exposed-brick walls. The company has been brewing for close to 20 years,…

  • Greyline Brewing Company

    Michigan

    Greyline is a bit of an outlier, about 3 miles northwest of downtown, but it’s worth the trip. Set in a squat grey building at the edge of an industrial…

  • HopCat

    Michigan

    Ranked as one of the nation's best beer bars, HopCat draws beer fans young and old. They pack the vintage wood tables in the low-lit room, knocking back…

  • Perrin Brewing Co

    Michigan

    Perrin is far-flung from other Grand Rapids breweries – about a 15-minute drive north of town – but it’s one of the scene’s largest players. The cavernous…

  • Dovetail Brewing

    Chicago

    Dovetail brews Belgian- and German-style beers. Smoky rauchbier, yolky-orange wheat beer, fruity lambics and sweet tasting spelt beer flow from the…

  • BrewDog Short North

    Ohio

    The Scottish brewer with a punk rock spirit has a couple of bars around town. This one in the Short North – a rollicking industrial room with exposed…

  • Millersburg Brewing Company

    Ohio

    This brewpub sits on Millersburg’s main street surrounded by antique shops. It’s definitely the local clubhouse for beer drinkers – mostly because bars…

  • Zen Cafe

    Indiana

    Part of a formerly abandoned warehouse space converted into a multi-use creative exhibition space and start-up incubator known as Lang Lab, Zen Cafe…

  • Berlin

    Chicago

    Looking for a packed, sweaty dance floor that's loads of fun? Berlin caters to a mostly gay crowd midweek, though partiers of all stripes jam the place on…

  • Two Brothers Tap House

    Illinois

    Two Brothers hides in an industrial park surrounded by fields. Two brothers, Jim and Jason, do indeed brew the suds, which you can sample via the 14 or so…

  • Beer Church

    Gold Coast

    The Beer Church is a cheeky one. Housed in a former Methodist church, its incongruous facade – bold red lettering proclaiming BREWERY beneath a pristine…

  • Empirical Brewery

    Chicago

    Hobnob with neighborhood folks in Empirical's no-frills taproom: play board games, hit the pinball machine, pet the locals' dogs. There's a science-geek…

  • Sip of Hope Coffee Bar

    Chicago

    With metal ducts running overhead, exposed-brick walls and wood bench seats, Sip of Hope is more industrial than cozy. But it's super welcoming and brews…

  • 18th Street Brewery

    Indiana

    18th Street flies under the radar, which is strange because it makes terrific beer and food. Saisons, double India pale ales and sour beers are the…

  • Rhine Hall Distillery

    Chicago

    A father-daughter team operates this cute-as-a-button distillery that specializes in fruit brandies. They source the apples, cherries, plums and other…

  • Big Woods The Original

    Indiana

    It's hard to beat a set of Quaff ON! Brewing beer samples on Big Woods' porch on a bright fall day. The timber-framed building feels like a cozy cabin…

  • City Winery

    Chicago

    City Winery pours on the grape theme, with casks and tanks of wine everywhere you look. It's very Sonoma decor-wise, with a vine-strewn, open-air patio…

  • Pigeon Hill Brewing Company

    Gold Coast

    A slew of eclectic beers bubble forth from the taps. The cinnamon French toast stout and oatmeal stout wallop the senses, while the double IPAs, hazy IPAs…

  • Temperance Beer Company

    Illinois

    The name of this laid-back brewery is a waggish reference to Evanston's legacy as a teetotaling stronghold: the town's dry spell outlasted US Prohibition…

  • Johnnie's Glenn Ave Grill

    Ohio

    Johnnie’s wins the prize for best dive bar in Columbus. Tucked in a house smack in the middle of a residential block, it has all the hallmarks of…

  • Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club

    Wicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village

    A hop, skip and a shuffle away from the 606 trail is this Brooklyn import that combines hipster cocktails and beer with leisurely games of full-court…

  • Keweenaw Brewing Company

    Upper Peninsula

    First point of note: quality pints cost $3. Widow Maker black ale and Pickaxe blonde ale are signature suds among the 12 taps. Young locals hobnob in the…

  • Bernice's Tavern

    Chicago

    A motley assemblage of local artists and neighborhood regulars haunts this workaday Bridgeport tavern, where the eclectic calendar includes wild, wacky…

  • Cupitol

    Illinois

    This hip coffee lounge is awash in welcoming mid-century modern aesthetics and design-forward touches, beckoning the caffeine calvary for a range of…

  • GMan Tavern

    Chicago

    The punk-rock jukebox, large, eclectic beer selection, and pierced-and-tattooed patrons make the GMan wonderfully different from the surrounding sports…

  • Murphy’s Bleachers

    Chicago

    It's a Cubs game prerequisite to beer up at this well-loved, historic watering hole, only steps away from the entrance to Wrigley Field’s bleacher seats…

  • Watershed

    Chicago

    This snug basement bar has a speakeasy-meets-ski-lodge vibe. All of the beer and spirits hail from the Great Lakes region (hence the name) and staff…

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